Wrist watch strap



Nov. 1, 1960 s. F. CHAPPELL 2,953,449

WRIST WATCH STRAP Filed Sept. 17, 1957 INVENTOR fiver 67/4/2514 ATTORN Unimd S ates This invention relates to straps for wrist watches and the like, and more particularly to such straps having means to save the watch after a tear has started and/or telltale means forsignalling that the strap loops surrounding the attaching pins are in a state of advance wear.

, Wrist watch straps are generally made of leather, cloth, synthetic fibers, metal linkages or solid metal bracelets. While metal linkages and bracelets are popular the predominant strap material now in use is leather.

Straps of leatheror other flexible natural or synthetic material are particularly susceptible to wear at the loop portions where the straps are attached to transverse pins which secure the strap to the watch frame. The failure of some straps, particularly leather straps, is accelerated when the wearer perspires and the resultant wetting and drying causes the strap material to deteriorate; and wear from friction is most severe often resulting in starting a tear at the edges of the loops around the attaching pins.

Heretofore, as wrist watch straps wore the danger of failure has often not been evident. The complete breaking of a strap loop is generally unanticipated, with no compelling warning of the advance state of wear or deterioration. When the side edge portions of the loops give way, a tear easily runs across the remainder of the loop, even though the remainder is suflicient to hold on to the attaching pins in the absence of a tear, thus the weak conditionis hidden until the moment of failure. As a result, the breakage has often gone unnoticed and the watch has been lost completely.

In many cases, an expensive wrist watch is seriously damaged, ruined or lost when the strap suddenly breaks, and the watch falls onto a hard pavement, into water or onto a soft surface where its fall is not heard.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide temporary holding means and/or signalling means for warning the wearer that the strap for a Wrist watch, or similarly held article, is beginning to fail and should be replaced, but inthe meantime to continue its serviceability.

It is another object of the present invention to pro vide a strap with such signalling means and holding means unobtrusively blending in attractively with the overall appearance of the strap.

It is still another object to provide such loss or breakage protection in otherwise standard watch straps at a minimum of expense.

In the accompanying drawings, preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown and these preferred embodiments are described in detail in the specification. However, it is to be understood that the drawings and description are not intended to be either exhaustive or limiting of the present invention in improved wrist watch straps, but on the contrary, are for the purpose of illustrating and discribing the invention in order that others skilled in the art may fully understand the invention, its principles and application thereof, and that they may embody it and adapt it in numerous forms, each as may ire be best suited to the requirements of a particular wrist watch and its intended usage.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a wrist watch with a telltale strap attached;

Figure 2 is a partial side view of a watch and strap, showing the signalling action of the strap in Figure 1 when the strap loop is partially worn through;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a strap with a series of slits defining telltale portions;

Figure 4 is a plan view of another strap with a series of telltale portions arranged in a different decorative manner;

Figure 5 is a partial plan view of another strap with the slit portions in a supplemental reinforcing patch;

Figure 5A is a sectional view of a portion of the strap shown in Figure 5;

Figure 6 is a partial plan view of a strap with symmetrically located telltale portions;

Figure 7 is a partial plan view of another strap with a series of slits arranged to create a modified decorative effect;

Figure 8 is a partial side view of a strap with a resilient spring piece underlying the telltale portions;

Figure 9 is a partial fragmentary plan view of the strap shown in Figure 8; and

Figure 10 is a partial side view of the strap in Figures 8 and 9 showing the signalling action which occurs after one of the telltale loop portions has failed.

Referring to the drawings and Figures 1 and 2 in particular, the strap (which I shall call a wrist watch strap even though it may be used to hold other articles e.g. compass or barometer or purse etc.) in the illustrated embodiment of the present invention consists of the usual two main parts. This strap has a buckle part 10 and a tongue part 12. Each part has a loop 14 at one end through which the transverse attaching pins 16 are inserted. The pins 16 are fitted into lugs or cars 18 which extend from the watch casing 20.

In the illustrated embodiment in Figure 1, slits 22 are made extending longitudinally in the loops 14 where they surround the pins 16. Narrow telltale loop portions 24 are thus defined by the slits 22 and the outer edges 23 of the strap parts 10 and '12.. The telltale portions are advantageously positioned in the outer region of the loops 14 because greater wear and tear is normally experienced there.

The slits which divide the loops may be made in various ways. For example, they may be woven in, i.e., with the several parts of the loop each having its own selvedge edges. Or, the strap may be cut lengthwise in the loop area and the cut edges either left unfinished or held by stitching or otherwise. .If the strap is nylon or a similarly weldable fabric, the use of a hot knife or a needle flame will simultaneously cut thruogh the fabric and fuse the cut edge. The slits should extend beyond the zone in which tearing is most likely.

When the straps wear through at the edge a tear is likely to start and would normally proceed across the telltale portion 24, but it is stopped by the slit, so that the central portion of the loop remains intact. The severed ends 26 have a tendency to pop outwardly as shown in Figure 2. These raised ends 26 signal the wearer that the watch strap is failing and must be replaced.

If for some reason the loops 14 wear through first at a point other than the outer edges of telltale portions 24, the use of a series of slits 21, as shown in Figures 3, 4, 7 and 9, provides intermediate telltale portions 24a which signal the need for replacement wherever such failure occurs along the pins 16; and at the same time the loop portions beyond the slits continue to hold.

The slits 22 may be more or less parallel to the outer edges 23 of the strap. Modified straps are shown in Figures 4 to 9. If a modified decorative design is desired, the slits 22 may be angularly directed as shown in Figures 4 and 7 forming diagonal telltale loop portions 24a.

The outer telltale portions 241) in Figures 4 and 7 are Wider at the points where they .pass over the pins 16 than at the loop end of slit 22. The wider area of portion $4 at the pins 16 distributes wear and its somewhat triangular form allows the loop to remain parallel to the pin even when the strap is pulled askew. Thus, the failure of the edges is effectively delayed.

In Figures 5 and 5a another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. In this case the outer or external layer of strap 30 is not slit. However, a reinforcing patch or layer 32, of fabric or leather or plastic etc., is cemented, sewed or otherwise secured to the strap inside the loop 14. This reinforcing layer 32 has slits 22 to stop tears and hold beyond the slit as in the other examples described. The slits 22 divide layer 32 into portions 34. This arrangement permits the decorative surface of the strap to be unaffected and still provide the advantages of the other surface slit embodiments.

In the reinforced strap embodiment the external layer of strap 30 may be made relatively thin. If a thin layer 30 is used and the reinforcement wears through in an outer portion 34, the thin external layer 30 will begin to Wear through while the remainder of the reinforcement 32 continues to hold. If the external layer 30 wears and tears across the reinforcement will still hold, thus preventing loss of the watch.

In Figure 6 still another wristwatch strap is shown. A single slit 22 is provided extending longitudinally and more or less centrally of each strap part thus defining relatively large telltale loop portions 240. This centered slit 22 is preferred Where the strap is very narrow such as with a small, ladys wrist watch.

A resilient spring means 40 may be used, optionally, as shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10. The spring means 40 comprises a header portion 42 with parallel fingers 44 extending therefrom and resiliently tending to bend outwardly away from the pin and against the telltale loop portions 24. This outward pressure of the spring fingers is indicated by the arrow in Figure 10.

The fingers 44 may be formed by merely slitting the resilient spring piece 40. The fingers 44 are shown extending around the pins 16 and thus may serve also as a wear preventer. However, they may be foreshortened if desired to end before extending beyond the pins 16, if the wear preventing feature is not desired. The spring means 40 is shown attached to the strap loops 14 by stitching 46. The fingers 44 are deformed by and follow the loop 14 and thus do not interfere with the insertion of the pins 16 through loops 14.

When the loop 14 wears through at a point as shown in Figure 10, the severed telltale portion 24 is pushed out by the finger 44 and into the signalling position shown.

The resilient fingers 44 shown in Figures 8-10 have sufiicient spring force to drive the severed portion to an outward position, thus insuring that it will prominently signal that the strap must be replaced.

The spring means 40 may be formed of metal or any of the well known plastic materials which retain sufficient spring force for significantly straightening out and prominently signalling need for replacement.

Referring to Figure 1 again, slits 22 may also be provided in the loop portion 50 of the buckle part 10 of the iilustrated strap. The loop 50 passes around the connecting pin 52 of the buckle just as loop 14 passes around pin 16. The slits 22 also divide loop 50 into telltale portions 24 and these serve to warn the user that the strap is about to fail at the buckle loop.

While in the drawings and this specification various embodiments of the present invention have been shown, it is to be understood that modifications may occur to one skilled in the art which'cannot be practiced without violating the spirit and scope of the following claims:

I claim:

1. A wrist watch strap of flexible material having loop portions for encircling the transverse attaching pins of a wrist watch and comprising at least one lengthwise slit in each loop dividing said loops into telltale loop portions encircling one of the pins, and spring means engaging at least one of said telltale loop portions and urging said telltale portion outwardly away fromthe pin, for moving at least part of said telltale loop portion outwardly when said loop wears through in said telltale portion.

2. A wrist strap of flexible material for articles with attaching means integral therewith, said strap having loop portions and comprising a series of lengthwise cuts in each loop dividing said loops into telltale portions and spring means including finger portions underlying said telltale portions whereby said telltale portion is urged outwardly by said underlying finger when said loop wears through in said telltale portion.

3. A wrist strap of flexible material for use with wrist watches and the like having transverse attaching pins, s .ld strap having loop portions adapted to encircle said attaching pins and said strap having lengthwise slits in each loop portion said slits extending over said attaching pins and said slits being eccentrically positioned relative to the longitudinal centerline of the strap, one slit being in each portion of the strap between said longitudinal centerline and the longitudinal edges of said strap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,509,855 Wadsworth et a1 Sept. 30, 1924 2,461,693 McAloon Feb. 15, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 610,618 Great Britain Oct. 19, 1948 662,559 Great Britain Dec. 5, 1951 

